Collection: SUPERFAMOUS

1989 was the year Michael unloaded his VW bus and put roots down in Hollywood. They say never meet your idol, so when Ian Asterberry from the band THE CULT left a message on his answering machine asking if Michael would stop by and do his head shots, he was more than ecstatic. They went on to become fast friends but what Michael didn’t realize was that from that point on he never met anyone that got him excited in that “FAMOUS” way when we see or meet that actor or athlete we grew up watching. Not one person. That was until he crossed paths with not a celebrity but a CHARACTER!! Driving north on Highland he came to a stop at Hollywood Blvd and as he looked up through the windshield, crossing the cross walk at mid day was a Storm Trooper, causally walking by.  Michael asked himself that go to question when he’s creating, “what would I never see that Stormtrooper do???”  The answer was crystal clear, shoot him as the MARLBORO MAN!!!!  The Stormy smoking a Marlboro Red.  He raced back to his home grabbed some portable studio lights, called his assistant and headed back down to the Chinese Theatre where he found the Strormtropper, took him in a back alley, handed him a Marlboro Red and created the first image of this iconic series. Michael would spend the next three months documenting these people, many of whom supported their drug habits by dressing as the various super heroes and posing with tourist for photos in exchange for tips. At this point, in 2003, no one had taken professional photos of these characters, let alone did a gallery show exhibiting them. Michaels exhibit SUPERFAMOUS, which hung at the LoFi Gallery in Los Angeles was met with critical acclaim.  Batman smoking crack was the image that broke Michael into the world of movie posters which to date Michael is responsible for nearly 28 Billion in ticket sales and is responsible for nearly every Marvel poster including, but not limited to Wolverine, X-Men, Spiderman and the Avenger films.